REAL ESTATE & LRO INSURANCE
Protect the building, the rent it produces, and your responsibility as an owner. BLIS helps landlords and property managers understand how property condition, tenants, leases, lender requirements, and liability fit into one practical coverage plan.
Certificates
Certificates for owners
We issue the additional insured certificates lenders, tenants, and property managers ask for.
Email us for a certificateStart here
Share your contact information and a few basics about your business. A licensed BLIS representative will review your request.
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Submitting this request does not bind coverage or guarantee a quote. BLIS is licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Florida. CA License 0M74955.
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Your business
Real estate insurance starts with the asset you worked to acquire and the income it is expected to produce. Building coverage, landlord liability, and loss-of-rents protection each address a different part of that investment.
The amount needed to rebuild is different from purchase price, assessed value, or market value. Reviewing replacement cost regularly helps reduce the chance that rising labor and material costs leave the property underinsured.
A well-maintained roof, electrical system, plumbing, and HVAC do more than protect tenants. Documented updates can expand insurance options and help show that the property is actively cared for.
Apartments, triplexes, rooming houses, and other residential properties have different insurance needs from commercial buildings. Unit count, rents, occupancy, maintenance, and prior claims help determine the coverage and policy options that fit.
A building can lose important protections after it remains vacant for a period defined in the policy. Owners between tenants, renovating, or preparing a sale should review that language before the occupancy changes.
Owners with commercial tenants also need a clear process for lease insurance requirements and certificates. Keeping those records organized makes renewals and day-to-day property management easier.
Businesses we help
Choose the business type closest to yours to see the everyday risks, coverage choices, and information that may matter when you request a quote.
Building, landlord liability, and loss-of-rents protection for apartment owners, based on the property, units, condition, and prior claims.
Property and GL for single-family and small residential rentals — built on replacement cost valuation and landlord liability.
Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes — property, LRO liability, and loss of rents across small residential portfolios.
Property, premises liability, and loss-of-rents coverage for landlords, plus guidance for California owners facing a non-renewal or limited insurer options.
Landlord coverage for the single rented house — DP dwelling forms, premises liability, loss of rents, and a clear path after a non-renewal notice.
Two units, one roof, often the owner in one — occupancy-matched policy forms, loss of rents on the tenant side, and coverage options for older shared-system buildings.
A three-unit property often sits between personal dwelling policies and commercial packages. BLIS helps owners understand which structure may fit the building and tenancy.
Property, LRO liability, and loss of rents for four-unit buildings — the top of residential financing, reviewed based on occupancy mix, per-unit rents, and systems condition.
Property and liability for buildings combining residential and commercial occupancies — coverage built for both risk types.
Building and landlord liability coverage for office, retail, and industrial properties, with attention to rebuilding cost, occupancy, condition, and tenant mix.
Lessors risk GL and commercial property for retail centers and strip malls — tenant certificate requirements and anchor tenant endorsements included.
Property and LRO liability for office buildings — built around tenant mix, common-area risk, and lease certificate requirements.
Coverage for unoccupied properties, designed around the vacancy restrictions in standard policies and the added concerns of an empty building.
Builder's risk for properties under active construction or renovation — the structure, materials on site, and scheduled soft costs through the project.
Coverage for multifamily residential properties, including apartments, rooming houses, and mixed residential occupancies with different building and management needs.
Coverage
These are common coverages to consider, not a one-size-fits-all package. What makes sense depends on how you operate, your contracts, state requirements, and the policy options available.
LRO can address certain injury and property-damage claims connected to your ownership and maintenance of the premises. It is separate from a tenant's business liability policy. Clear lease requirements and tenant certificates help both sides understand which responsibilities belong to the owner and which belong to the tenant.
Commercial property can help repair or rebuild after covered fire, water, wind, vandalism, and other losses. Replacement-cost coverage uses current rebuilding costs, while actual-cash-value coverage subtracts depreciation. Understanding that difference helps owners choose a building limit that supports their recovery plan.
If covered damage makes units or suites unusable, rent may stop while the mortgage, taxes, and other expenses continue. Loss-of-rents or business-income coverage can replace covered income during repairs. The amount and time period should reflect actual rent and a realistic reconstruction schedule.
Builder's risk covers a structure during active construction or renovation — the building shell, materials on site, and sometimes soft costs — against fire, theft, vandalism, and weather. Standard property policies limit coverage on vacant buildings. Builder's risk is built for the construction period. Coverage typically runs for the project duration and ends when the building is ready for occupancy.
An umbrella can add liability limits above the landlord's primary policy. It may be worth reviewing for larger portfolios, busy commercial properties, or when lenders and leases require higher limits. The umbrella begins after the scheduled underlying coverage is used, subject to its terms.
Standard commercial property policies generally exclude flood and earthquake. Protecting against either requires a separate policy or endorsement, with its own deductible, limits, and eligibility requirements. Owners should review location-specific needs and lender requirements rather than assume the building policy includes these events.
Coverage examples
A few situations to make coverage concrete. These are illustrations only — not actual claims, and not a guarantee of any coverage outcome.
Example scenario: A tenant slips on a wet stairwell in a common area and sustains an injury. They file a claim against the property owner alleging inadequate maintenance. The landlord's LRO policy responds to this type of claim — the tenant's own renter's insurance does not cover their injury claim against the landlord. The outcome depends on the facts, policy terms, and applicable state law.
Properties with aging common areas, poor lighting, or deferred maintenance tend to generate more of these incidents. This is an illustrative scenario and does not represent a specific claim or guarantee any coverage outcome.
Example scenario: A commercial property has been vacant for about 45 days when an electrical fire causes significant structural damage. Standard commercial property policies include a vacancy provision that limits covered perils — or suspends coverage entirely — after the building has been unoccupied beyond a defined threshold.
The claim outcome depends on the specific policy language, how vacancy is defined, and whether the landlord secured vacant building coverage before the vacancy started. This is an illustrative scenario and does not represent a specific claim or guarantee any coverage outcome.
The claim scenarios above are illustrative examples only. They do not represent actual clients, actual claims, or guaranteed coverage outcomes. Coverage for any specific situation depends on the policy terms, conditions, exclusions, and the facts of the claim.
After coverage starts
Once coverage is in place, BLIS can help with certificates and policy changes. A certificate only summarizes policy information; the policy and insurer-issued endorsements determine the actual coverage.
FAQ
Lessors risk is general liability designed for property owners. It can address certain claims connected to common areas, building maintenance, and the owner's responsibility for the premises. It does not cover a tenant's business operations, so commercial tenants generally need their own liability coverage.
The roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems are closely tied to water, fire, and habitability problems in older buildings. Their age and condition help insurers understand the property, while records of completed updates can improve the options available. Keep permits, invoices, and inspection records with the building file.
Most commercial property policies call a building vacant when less than 31% of the square footage is in use. Past 30 or 60 consecutive days empty, the form typically restricts covered perils — dropping vandalism, sprinkler leakage, and some water damage. A vacancy permit endorsement can hold full coverage. Longer vacancies or renovations usually need standalone vacant building coverage. This gap catches many owners off guard.
Yes. Requiring tenant GL — and naming you as an additional insured — is standard practice in residential and commercial leases alike. Renters insurance covers a residential tenant's property and personal liability, while the additional insured endorsement guards you against cross-claims. Commercial leases typically require GL at set limits with additional insured status. Tracking those certificates is ongoing work for larger portfolios. What your specific lease should require is a question for legal counsel.
Replacement cost value uses current construction costs without subtracting for the building's age. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation, so it may provide substantially less for an older property. Coinsurance provisions can also reduce payment when the building is insured below the required percentage of its value. Reviewing the valuation at renewal helps keep the limit aligned with rebuilding costs.
From the insights library
Prepare the business description, claims reports, payroll, vehicles, property details, and contract requirements insurers need to consider a quote.
Use this field-by-field guide to check a certificate of insurance, spot missing information, and know when to ask for the policy endorsement behind it.
Gather the building values, system updates, occupancy details, claims history, and fire-protection information owners need for a smoother property insurance review.
Tell us how your business works and what you want help with. We'll review what you share and let you know what else may be needed.
Coverage availability, pricing, terms, conditions, limits, and eligibility depend on the insurer, state, details of the business, claims history, and policy terms. Nothing on this site guarantees coverage, pricing, approval, or savings.
Illustrative claim scenarios are examples only and do not represent specific claims, predicted outcomes, or coverage guarantees. Whether a specific claim is covered depends on the policy terms, conditions, exclusions, and the facts of the specific situation.
Information on flood and earthquake coverage is provided for general reference only. Coverage availability, limits, and terms vary significantly by location and insurer requirements. Confirm applicable requirements and availability with a licensed insurance professional.
